Every device, such as a MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, benefits from a limited number of cycles until a battery is used up and needs replacing. As a Mac battery gets older, the time in between full charges reduces. This means, you aren't getting as many hours of charge that you would have when it was new.
- Jun 10, 2020 Click the Battery Health button. Untick the box next to “Battery health management” to disable the feature. Choose the option Turn Off from the dialog. Lastly, Click OK to save the changes. As your Mac notebook’s battery ages, macOS will no longer attempt to extend its long-term lifespan by reducing peak capacity based on your usage.
- Tap Battery Health. Which can give you a sense of whether you should start carrying a USB battery pack or pay to replace the battery. Apple will replace a battery under the included one-year.
- Detailed stats and health information for your MacBook's battery! AWARDED MACWORLD 'MAC GEM' - The Best Battery Health App With Battery Health, you can easily see all the important information about your MacBook's battery, such as current charge level, battery capacity, power usage, number of times it has been charged and much more.
Jul 03, 2020 Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch. Scroll down and open the Battery section. Here, swipe down from the battery usage graph and tap on Battery Health. The new screen will show you the Maximum Capacity of your watch’s battery.
Once a battery hits its maximum number of charging cycles, it can still be used. But it does mean that you might only get a couple hours at most of use until it needs charging again. In some cases, you might not be able to use a Mac without a power cord. This is clearly a sign of a dead battery.
So to avoid this happening unexpectedly, let’s first look at what a battery cycle means and how to check your currently battery cycle.
Mac battery cycle: What does this mean?
Think about how you normally use your Mac. Do you work from the same desk, plug it in, keep it charging all day, then close it down and not use it until the next day?
In that case, it’s getting fully charged, but not using any of that charge. It could take years for it to reach the maximum number of cycles possible.
In that case, it’s getting fully charged, but not using any of that charge. It could take years for it to reach the maximum number of cycles possible.
However, if you charge the Mac in before going somewhere - until the charge reaches 100% - and then you take your Mac without the plug and it uses 50% of the charge. And then you do the same the following day, this is one full cycle. It would only count as two if on both occasions the charge went down to zero, then it needed fully recharging again.
So every time you use as much of the battery as possible, then recharge it, this is a complete battery cycle.
How to check my Mac battery cycle?
Now that you understand what a Mac battery cycle is, we can have a look on how to check this.
How much charge a Mac currently has is automatically displayed in the top toolbar, shown as a percentage and when clicked on it will give you the option to open Energy Saver Preferences. It also displays what is currently using a large amount of the battery charge.
Now here is where to check how many charging cycles your Mac has remaining.
- Go to the Apple () menu in the top toolbar (you can also search for System Information using Siri or Spotlight Search)
- Click on System Information
- Within this is a Hardware section of System Information
- Click on Power
- Listed under Health Information is the current Cycle Count
- It also provides a Condition status of your battery
The current Cycle Count it displays is how many cycles are remaining until the battery has reached its maximum. It’s helpful to know how many cycles most Mac models have. Apple have documented this information for Mac users.
Does my Mac model make a difference?
Yes, it does. Depending on how old your Mac is, some models have different amount of cycles than other. Drivers for canon 5d mac. As a general rule, older Macs are not as energy efficient as modern models, so these usually have much shorter total battery cycles.
Based on information from Apple, here are the various models of MacBooks, MacBooks Air and Pro and their battery cycles:
- MacBook (2009 - 2017 models): 1000 cycles
- MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, Late 2008): 500 cycles
- MacBook (all earlier models, except the one above): 300 cycles
- MacBook Pro (most models): 1000 cycles
- MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2008): 500 cycles
- MacBook Pro (every other 2008 model): 300 cycles
- MacBook Air (most models): 1000 cycles
- MacBook Air (Mid 2009): 500 cycles
- MacBook Air (original and late 2008 model): 300 cycles
We hope this is useful. Now you know how to check current battery percentages, how many battery cycles your Mac has and where to find that real-time data. Below are a few quick ways to improve the battery health of your Mac.
How to improve Mac battery health?
Macbook Pro Battery Replacement
1. Use Energy Saver mode
- Open System Preferences (via the Apple () menu, Siri or Spotlight) > Click on Energy Saver:
- Switch on Automatic graphic and check the box for Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible;
- Also switch off Wake for network access.
2. Switch off or delete power-draining apps
- Download CleanMyMac X (you can download a free edition here);
- Use the Optimization > Heavy Consumers to identify battery-draining apps;
- Close the ones you don't need, or click on Uninstaller to remove the apps you don't need anymore;
Mac Os Battery Health
3. Reduce screen brightness
Brighter screens use too much power.
It is always going to be a balancing act between too bright and not bright enough. Other factors, such as light from external sources, what you are doing at the time, and internal lights will also impact how bright or not the screen feels.
To change the brightness, go to System Preferences (either through the top toolbar Apple icon, Spotlight or Siri) and click on Displays. Use the Brightness slider to adjust this. Or you can use the F1 and F2 keys on MacBooks (F14 and F15 on desktop Mac’s).
4. Update your macOS software
When you update to the latest version of macOS software, newer versions often include the latest in battery saving technology. Every time and update happens, Mac’s that upgrade to the newest version experience improved efficiencies and faster processing power.
Before downloading a new macOS, make sure to back everything up first. To update, click on the Apple icon in the top toolbar select Software Update (it will always show you if a new update is needed).
5. Close background apps
Launch Agents are small background applications that are normally hidden. Still, they can be primary battery-drainers on your Mac. It can be equally useful to keep the number of Launch Agents and Login Items to a minimum, which CleanMyMac X can quickly and easily tidy up.
While you are in CleanMyMac, click Optimization > Launch Agents
Disable everything to the bare minimum.
Getting the most out of your Mac battery keeps it going for longer. You can do more with a Mac that has a healthy battery. To keep this healthy for as long as possible, we recommend making sure your Mac is running as efficiently as it can.
CleanMyMac X is a valuable tool for getting your Mac up and running as good as new. It can monitor the health of your Mac, clear out system junk, remove viruses and tidy up long-forgotten folders and files. Everything you do that improves performance will reduce the strain on the battery, keeping it running for longer.
About battery cycles
When you use your Mac notebook, its battery goes through charge cycles. A charge cycle happens when you use all of the battery’s power—but that doesn’t necessarily mean a single charge.
For example, you could use half of your notebook's charge in one day, and then recharge it fully. If you did the same thing the next day, it would count as one charge cycle, not two. In this way, it might take several days to complete a cycle.
Batteries have a limited amount of charge cycles before their performance is expected to diminish. Once the cycle count is reached, a replacement battery is recommended to maintain performance. You can use your battery after it reaches its maximum cycle count, but you might notice a reduction in your battery life.
Knowing how many charge cycles your battery has and how many are left can help you determine when a battery replacement is required. For best performance, replace your battery when you reach its maximum cycle count.
Follow these steps to access information about your Mac notebook battery, including its cycle count:
- Hold the Option key and click the Apple menu. Choose System Information.
- Under the Hardware section of the System Information window, select Power. The current cycle count is listed under the Battery Information section.
Identify your computer
Cycle count limits vary between Mac models. For help identifying your Mac notebook, use the Tech Specs page or these articles:
Cycle count limits
Use the table below to see the cycle count limit for your computer's battery. The battery is considered consumed once it reaches the limit.
Computer | Maximum Cycle Count |
MacBook | |
MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, 2017) MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016) MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2010) MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009) | 1000 |
MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, Late 2008) | 500 |
MacBook (Mid 2009) MacBook (Early 2009) MacBook (Late 2008) MacBook (Early 2008) MacBook (Late 2007) MacBook (Mid 2007) MacBook (Late 2006) MacBook (13-inch) | 300 |
MacBook Pro | |
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014) MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013) MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2013) MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2010) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009) MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015) MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013) MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012) MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012) MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011) MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011) MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53 GHz, Mid 2009) MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2009) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2011) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2010) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009) | 1000 |
MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2008) | 500 |
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2008) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.4/2.2GHz) MacBook Pro (15-inch, Core 2 Duo) MacBook Pro (15-inch Glossy) MacBook Pro (15-inch) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2008) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2008) MacBook Pro (17-inch, 2.4GHz) MacBook Pro (17-inch Core 2 Duo) MacBook Pro (17-inch) | 300 |
MacBook Air | |
MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2019) MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2015) MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014) MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2013) MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2012) MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2011) MacBook Air (11-inch, Late 2010) MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015) MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2014) MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013) MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2012) MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2011) MacBook Air (13-inch, Late 2010) | 1000 |
MacBook Air (Mid 2009) | 500 |
MacBook Air (Late 2008) MacBook Air | 300 |
Learn more
Battery Health Monitor For Mac
See these resources for more information about the batteries in your Apple notebook.